Ever since Jon Bernthal starred as Shane Walsh in the first two seasons of The Walking Dead, his career has reached unprecedented levels of stardom. But while he's found a lot of success since his appearance in AMC's iconic show, 2026 is shaping up to be his best year yet.
Bernthal appeared in major theatrical releases that have dominated the box office, such as Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey. Moreover, his series and TV specials released over the last few months were met with critical acclaim, including His & Hers and The Punisher: One Last Kill.
The iconic actor is bound to have more projects under his belt as months go by. But before we look at what lies ahead, now is the perfect time to take a trip down memory lane and break down four iconic Jon Bernthal films that every fan of The Walking Dead should see.
Fury
Shane Walsh is known for creating a lot of friction in a group of survivors trying to navigate the horrors of a devastating situation. Well, that exact same description also happens to fit Grady "Coon-Ass" Travis in Fury.
This 2014 war drama directed by David Ayer follows a group of soldiers as they fight in Germany during World War II. The film stars Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña, and, of course, Jon Bernthal, who gives a hauntingly good performance as Grady Travis. By the end of the movie, it wouldn't be surprising if you were to completely despise his character, signaling just how talented the actor is at portraying these hot-tempered, slightly unhinged roles.
Just like in The Walking Dead, Bernthal brings to life a prominent but antagonistic character who is skilled enough to survive a dreadful scenario, yet you'll still be rooting for his demise all the way through.
The Accountant
It is no secret that Jon Bernthal is in his element when starring in engaging action thrillers, which is why his role in The Accountant can't be missed. This 2016 film, directed by Gavin O'Connor, follows the story of Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck)—an autistic accountant whose impressive talent with numbers has led him to work for some of the biggest criminal organizations.
When Wolff begins investigating some irregularities at a company called Living Robotics, more and more people associated with the case are targeted by a hitman called Braxton, who is portrayed by Jon Bernthal. Christian and Braxton are at odds for most of the movie, giving Bernthal yet another antagonistic role on his resume. However, there's a plot twist toward the end of the film that radically changes the dynamic between these two characters and sets up the events for The Accountant 2, in which Bernthal also has a major role.
If you're looking for an intriguing action thriller where the actors behind Punisher and Batman have to face each other, then this one's definitely for you.
Sweet Virginia
Whenever the setting of a movie is a small, seemingly quiet town where nothing wrong should happen, you know something terribly wrong is about to go down.
Sweet Virginia is a neo-noir, slow-burn thriller directed by Jamie M. Dagg. The film follows Sam Rossi (Jon Bernthal), whose glory days are long behind him. We're used to watching Bernthal star in fast-paced action movies or shows where he single-handedly kills many people in a very stylish fashion. However, Sweet Virginia does something different and portrays him as a man who limps, has severe physical pain, and is a little more reserved toward the beginning. It is a striking change, but one that's absolutely refreshing and could just be one of Bernthal's best roles of his career.
Sam runs a motel years after being a celebrated rodeo rider. While he mostly lives a quiet life, things start to take a dark turn when an undercover hitman called Elwood stays in one of Sam's rooms. The two develop a genuine friendship, but as the days go by, Sam starts to learn about the many dark secrets of his new guest.
Thrilling and nail-biting, Sweet Virginia is a severely underrated film that fans of The Walking Dead should definitely not miss.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Ever since his days in The Walking Dead, Jon Bernthal has mostly been known for portraying very serious and dramatic roles. Even his take on the Punisher is hard-hitting, visceral, and filled with a lot of pain. However, he gets to do something slightly different in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and it was a joy to see.
This is still the same Punisher who has killed dozens in his TV show and the Daredevil series. However, we get to see a new side of him that isn't as dark and actually has some comedic touches sprinkled throughout. Bernthal's chemistry with Tom Holland is incredible, and the two quickly became one of the most iconic pairings in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is directed by Marvel legend Destin Daniel Cretton, who previously worked on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Wonder Man. The movie follows Peter Parker as he tries to set his personal life aside to fully focus on being Spider-Man, but the emergence of a new threat will slowly make him reconnect with who he was. Other Marvel characters such as the Hulk and the Hand also make an appearance, and the movie does a fantastic job of feeling like an isolated story while also setting up bigger things to come.
Overall, this is one amazing journey every superhero or Jon Bernthal fan should definitely experience.
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